Grace Carty
Every year, you hear the arguments that Valentine’s Day is just a commercialised holiday made by companies for companies. And yes, it may be just that. However, it can also act as a time for singletons to feel that little bit more alone. If that’s you, don’t mope by yourself this year. If you are going to devour that Ben & Jerry’s anyway, you may as well do it with company. Organise a Galentine’s get together, it doesn’t have to be anything too fancy. A Dominoes deal and a Netflix account, probably still paid for by your parents, will do. Grace Carty lists her favourite films for this time of year.
If you fancy a cry…
Me Before You (2016)
Telling the tale of Lou and Will, Me Before You lets us into an unexpected love story. Having begun to resent life following a terrible accident, Will has lost hope. When Lou arrives as his carer he isn’t convinced by her positivity and wacky choice of clothes, whilst she is annoyed by his refusal to be happy. Of course, it couldn’t be a romance movie if their feelings didn’t change along the way. Although this story is at times quite devastating, it reminds us that even when your body is paralysed, your heart and its ability to love, is not.
My Policeman (2022)
A recent addition to our screens was My Policeman. Following the lives of three individuals from their early twenties to their later years, this film takes us back to Brighton in the 1950s. Described as a story of “wasted time” by Harry Styles (plays Tom), it depicts a truth which would have been so devastatingly well known to many not so long ago.
Five Feet Apart (2019)
In Justin Baldoni’s directorial debut, we are taken to a teenage cystic fibrosis ward. With compromised immune systems, Stella and Will are banned from being closer than six feet within each other. A guaranteed tear-jerker as the pair’s illness, coupled with their youth, makes for a powerful, yet crushing story.
For the independent women…
Little Women (2019)
I remember this being one of the first classics I read as a young girl so watching it transformed into a new movie in 2019 was incredible. The March sisters show that through all of the trials and tribulations of boys and life dramas, your family, and your sisters (by friendship or blood!) will always stand the test of time.
Legally Blonde (2001)
It would be sacrilege as a Law undergraduate myself to not give Elle Woods a mention! By ignoring those who underestimated her and instead going after what she wanted, Elle showed us the true definition of an independent woman. So, this Galentine’s, say goodbye to the ‘valentines’ who are not worth it and do an Elle Woods. Focus on yourself and your girlfriends because, “if I’m gonna be partner in a law firm by the time I’m 30, I’m going to need a boyfriend who’s not such a complete bonehead.”
Classic Lovey Love…
The Notebook (2004)
I couldn’t write this article and not mention Allie and Noah. After meeting at a fairground, their love story spans decades. This iconic movie couple will go down in history as the classic love story where just as you worry that things could all go wrong, they end up going just right.
About Time (2013)
This is my all-time favourite film (quite clearly Rachel McAdams only makes good movies). Though the quirky theme of time travel in this film may turn some people away, I urge you to click play. A magical film which shows how to find the sweetness in our everyday and reminds us how lucky we are to live life with the existence of good love all around us.
Bridget acts as a reminder to us twenty-somethings that you really do not have to have it all figured out
When you just need a good laugh…
Bridesmaids (2011)
No matter how many times I watch this film the wedding dress try-on scene will never fail to make me and my mum laugh. This is a film telling the story of a bride and her friends in the run up to her wedding, showing the laughs, drama, and tears along the way. Quite surely, it promises to end your Galentine’s night in a fit of giggles.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)
A young Hugh Grant – could you go wrong? Bridget acts as a reminder to us twenty-somethings that you really do not have to have it all figured out. Instead, have laughs with your friends and everything will work itself out. Though, if you can keep a diary of it all to remember all of the hilarious chaos, you will thank yourself later.
Sing-along favourites…
La La Land (2016)
No shade to Mamma Mia, but I am trying to think slightly more out of the box. Sticking with Ryan Gosling, you and your Galentine’s could choose to spend 2 hours in LA this February. Some criticise this movie for not following the usual trend of a love story, but I think that is why I love this film so much. Following the two main characters as they go after their different dreams, this movie tells us an honest love story. Although we could never knock the idyllic love we see in most Hollywood films, a reminder that real life doesn’t always look that way can be helpful. Things might not always go the way which you planned but your life can still be fabulous and after all, you might win an Oscar for it…or not.
West Side Story (1961), (2021)
With the original 1961 movie or the remake forty years later, you have options with this film. The Romeo and Juliet-esque story guides us through young love and through the power of music, can have you lifted up to the highest highs of ‘America’ to the hopeful tears of ‘Somewhere’.
Though turbulent, their relationship exhibits an unconditional bond and depicts the love ever-present between parents and their children
A Different Kind of Love…
Beautiful Boy (2018)
On Valentine’s Day I think it is important to celebrate all of the loves we have in our lives. This includes parents, or those who we have been lucky enough to have brought us up. In this film, Steve Carell plays the father of troubled Nic (played by Timothée Chalamet). Though turbulent, their relationship exhibits an unconditional bond and depicts the love ever-present between parents and their children.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Charlie’s story in The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one filled with much sadness. Though, through his newfound friendships at school he finds an eye in his storm. A place where he can be happy and accepted for who he is. A film which celebrates friendship and allows you to remember why you love your Galentine’s so very much shouldn’t be missed this romance season.
‘The how to’s!’…
How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days (2003)
The famous yellow dress may be the most memorable part of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, though we shouldn’t forget the value in Andie Anderson herself. On a shallow level, we can follow her guide on how not to act when you want a guy to like you. However, the key message is shown when the magazine Andie works for doesn’t let her write real material which matters to her. This disappointment forces Andie to remember her worth and go elsewhere. If this is how you are feeling, do an Andie Anderson and ride off on a motorbike with Matthew McConaughey. In Nottingham, that motorbike may actually be a scooter up Derby Road, and I can’t make any promises about Matthew McConaughey, but the message stands. If you are not being treated right, remember your worth and walk away.
How to Be Single (2016)
Finally, we come to a film where the title poses a topic many people may be considering this February 14th. If you are stumped on how to be single this Valentine’s Day, give this film a watch and maybe try some of Rebel Wilson’s methods, though I can’t promise that they will end well. If you are looking for a safer plan, refer back to my original idea and curl up with your besties, a Dominoes (if you can find a voucher!) and a Netflix account courtesy of mum and dad.
Grace Carty
Featured image courtesy of Rinck Content Studio via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In article trailer 1 courtesy of Prime Video via YouTube. No changes were made to this video.
In article trailer 2 courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers via YouTube. No changes were made to this video.
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